About this blog

Ramblings, thoughts, facts and opinions about political things - starting point council tenant participation with my land-lord Camden council and council tenant reps plus other housing issues, and whatever.


NOTE: I believe this account has been illegally hacked. Little clues have been left for me. They like playing games.

Thursday, 27 March 2025

Adult Safeguarding - Camden says No

 work in progress 

VP = Vulnerable Person 


https://www.scie.org.uk/safeguarding/adults/practice/adult-safeguarding-practice-questions/



What is Social Care? a care-worker charity gives a definition here 

"The social care system is in place to provide help to those in need, such as individuals with mental health problems, learning or physical disabilities, as well as vulnerable adults and children. Such a broad range of services provides a safety need to those most in risk ..."

but these only seem to provide support for those most at risk, have reached a crisis.... what about before it gets to this stage, what about prevention? 

You may be in need of safeguarding but because of awful experiences with the council or other authorities be very wary or not think you will get any help. 

You may be at risk from harm, or have been harmed and had to have hospital treatment - by some of the people who make up Safeguarding Adults Partnership Boards like in Camden here

you may never get to hear about a lot of cases. Only the extreme cases will be reported about either via a PFD report or a Safeguarding review. 

These are the extreme cases where the VP has ended up dead and their case has been made officially public. There will be [imo] associated cases where the VP has needed help, has gone to police, etc but no help, maybe has a long term addiction, medical condition/s and who doesn't die in the prescribed circumstances/ place/setting that gets them a mention.

Where are the details of how many and how adults where safeguarded? 

the Camden SAPB here





Adult Safeguarding in Camden is failing. 

WHAT, do shut up - but what about the below headline on camden councils website:

Camden Becomes First in the Country to Receive 'Outstanding' Rating for Adult Social Care Under New CQC Ratings  Here 




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Thursday, 20 March 2025

Anthony Hardy



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Thursday, 20 February 2025

Regulatory Standards for Social Landlords


https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/regulatory-standards-for-landlords

Standards for Landlords

"Our regulatory standards set the outcomes that social landlords in England must deliver for tenants"   2 April 2024

Consumer standards The outcomes of the consumer standards apply to all landlords registered with us, including local authorities.

Neighbourhood and Community Here 

Safety and Quality Here 

Tenancy  Here 

Tenancy, Influence and Accountability [including Tenant Satisfaction Measures] Here

Consumer standards Code of Practice Here 

18  July 2024 Camden Council officer report 
Social Housing Regulator Consumer Standards update Here
 " This report is about the updated Consumer Standards introduced by the Regulation of Social Housing Act 2023 and the confirmed Tenants Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) on which the Council must report to Council tenants and the Social Housing Regulator. The Regulator will use TSM performance information to provide the Council with a baseline performance rating against the Consumer Standards which came into operation in April 2024. Local "





Economic standards

Governance and Financial Viability Standard and Code of Practice Here 

Rent Standard and Guidance Here 

Value for Money Standard and Code of Practice Here 


 -----------------------------------------

Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 [Here ]  part 2 Regulation of Social Housing Here

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Sunday, 22 December 2024

Stock condition survey

work in progress

https://dglegal.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Disrepair-Best-Practice-Tactics-Webinar-Slides.pdfCouncil officer reports on latest Stock Condition


Reports to DMC's : Ho/KT Dec 2023 HERE



Feb 2024 - Ho DMC HERE 





2015 Housing conditions in Camden report HERE and excerpt below:


according to the above linked report, in 2003/4 most council homes in Camden [91. 5%]  did not meet the DHS. 

--------------------------------------------------------


Housing Act 2004 

"An Act to make provision about housing conditions; to regulate houses in multiple occupation and certain other residential accommodation; to make provision for home information packs in connection with the sale of residential properties; to make provision about secure tenants and the right to buy; to make provision about mobile homes and the accommodation needs of gypsies and travellers; to make other provision about housing; and for connected purposes.

[18th November 2004]


The Housing, Health and Safety Rating System [England] Regulations 2005 HERE

IMO the above ratings system needs changing in parts: for a start the formula that is supposed to be followed would i think need someone with a masters degree in maths and then some to understand it - its way too complicated: example below
Section 6 Seriousness of hazard 





" The government will consult on a new Decent Homes Standard for the rented sectors" 

when this will happen is any ones guess. 


Landlords repairing obligations: section 11 Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 HERE 

from Camden Council website - Council tenant rights and responsibilities  HERE
                                                  - Report a housing repair  HERE . 
                                                    On the same page is also Report a non-emergency repair                                                          and a link  check if a repair is your responsibility which 
                                                     brings you to  HERE

The above [from Twitter] is about Camden Council paying out £4.6m in compensation between Oct 2023 and Oct 2024. It's a lot of money - why they wouldn't do the repairs when they have a legal obligation to do so, isn't clear to me but looks like they are rationing repairs - possibly due to costs they hadn't properly budgeted for. 

27 dec 2024
My landlords refusal to fix the waste pipe problem to do with my bath, says to me that they are rationing some of the repairs they are supposed to do - like some plumbing/ repairs/maintenance.  plumbing 

They are also doing this with some works to do with the supply of electricity to the tenant - wiring and sockets. It doesn't always seem so straightforward like in the Grenfell Tower tragedy here where the fire is said to have started by a fridge in one of the flats: i read some of the documents on the GT inquiry and as far as i am aware the cause was never determined. [will clarify] electrical 

update 
in my case i was doing some ironing and a few minutes after heating up the iron cooled down - no fuse banged . I couldnt find out what the problem was even though i checked the fuse box to see which switche has tripped, i couldnt see any.  The sockets werent working but the ceiling lights where.  

i went onto the councils website and was chatting with someone to do with housing repairs and told him what the problem was. he asked me a few questions, i answered. then he said he was ending the chat as the problem was the appliance. .... then he was gone. im like, huh come back, what about the electricity in my flat. 

anyhow i became very upset and  a bit hyper [ i have omitted some stuff to do with tenant in flat C  squealing to the housing office and them sending the fire brigade down here] long story short  a few people in camden council kindly helped me and i got the problem sorted the following morning - over the phone. 

then 2 appointment notes where put through the front door and i didnt know why, no-one said why even to this day - as far as i was aware the problem had been sorted and i was out for the appointments. 
if they had wanted to physically check the sockets etc  to be on the safe side [as landlord] they should have said so then i would have been in for them - poor communication on their part imo. 

as a tenant one can get laden down with the amount of faults and having to go through the official complaints process is exhausting for me - i don't bother mostly, its easier to not expect too much. 

update 18 jan 25
Housing Scrutiny committee mon 13 jan 2025 HERE

 agenda item 9 Housing Investment strategy HERE     2025 - 2030 

additional documents: 

apx A HERE   Housing Investment strategy Delivering Quality Homes 

       B HERE  Housing Asset Management      "               "            "    

       B1 HERE "     "            "               Proposed Capital Programme 

       B2 HERE   Asset Feasibility Study template 

      C HERE    EQIA Assessment 

       

agenda item 11 Housing Allocation Scheme review HERE   

 apn 1 HERE summary of minor changes 



mon 20 Jan 2025 Extra-ordinary Meeting of the Council  HERE   -  into the Housing Ombudsman Special Report  HERE 

item 5 request for an extra ordinary council meeting HERE  - report of borough solicitor [Andrew Maughan}  / agenda report pack HERE Jenny Rowlings CEO



update 19 jan 25

Tenancy Agreement HERE - this is the agreement that all tenants who rent have, which is renewed each year - last updated 2008 and 2016 

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Sunday, 1 December 2024

Housing Ombudsman Special Report

 The Housing Ombudsman [HO] is attached to The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government {MHCLG}HERE


work in progress Note:  just as i clicked on link to the full report [on the HO website, my internet went down - 13:25 approx wednes 4 dec 24 - this also happen earlier on twitter when i started to have a look at Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government account ]  Co-incidences, Timing. Reading the signs isn't always easy. A meaningful connection or not, I don't know. 13:35 signal is back now. 13.43 having other internet problems with reaching/loading pages now. no internet again 13.45. ill be back a little latter, im trying to fix the plumbing problem the landlord doesnt do anymore:blocked waste pipe. 14;09 internet back on

https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/2024/11/28/special-investigation-into-camden-council/

" Ombudsman special investigation into Camden Council reveals defensive complaint handling culture 

28 November 2024

The investigation was prompted by a significant volume of severe maladministration findings. 

In the report, the Ombudsman investigated 57 individual complaints, making 124 findings of maladministration where obligations, policies or processes were not followed, with a detrimental impact on the residents involved. This represents a maladministration rate of 83% during 2023-24. The Ombudsman also made 275 orders on these cases to make things right for residents. " 


Summary: 3 key area's of concerns Complaint Handling, Vulnerable tenants and Disrepair  HERE


Full Report HERE

          Key points:  Complaints handling 

  •   repeatedly failed to appropriately identify and log complaints
  •   accessibility and awareness:   no Reasonable Adjustments policy under the Equality Act 2010: Part 11 advancement of equality - Chapter 1 public sector equality duty 
  • different definitions of vulnerable across the department 

                    *Disrepair 



* disrepair is the state of a property due to neglect or lack of maintenance. Repair is the process of fixing something that is broken -  to its original state. [other definitions may apply] 


Accessibility and awareness [of the complaints process]

          vulnerable residents and reasonable adjustments

"The Equality Act 2010 sets out the landlord's responsibility to make sure it does not treat a resident less favourably because of a protected character. 

As a local authority the landlord is also bound by The Public Sector Duty which aims to make sure local authorities think about things such as discrimination and the needs of people who are disadvantaged or suffer inequality, when they make decisions about how they provide their services and implement policies.  [p19] 

The 2020 Code states that landlords shall comply with the Equality Act and may need to adapt normal policies, procedures, or processes to accommodate an individuals needs. 

Landlords should have a reasonable adjustments policy in place to address this. 

Landlord said it did not have a formal reasonable adjustment in place - in relation to complaints handling. But did have accessibility policies for residents to access services and communications. 

..... landlord considers it has 'an adequate approach to vulnerability' 

the casework findings suggest the approach is far from adequate. 

The landlord lacks awareness of how to respond to reasonable adjustments requests or adapt its approach to vulnerable residents." [p20]







List of Cases HERE [same page as Summary - scroll down the page] 



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Thursday, 2 May 2024

Coroners Court - PFD reports

 work in progress                                                                                                        

This post is for links to Home - Courts and Tribunals Judiciary 

particularly the Coroners' courts  which publishes Reports to Prevent Future Deaths [PFD]

The site says about the PFD's 

" Paragraph 7 of Schedule 5, Coroners and Justice Act 2009, provides coroners with the duty to make reports to a person, organisation, local authority or government department or agency where the coroner believes that action should be taken to prevent future deaths."


LB's of [mainly] Camden, and neighboring Islington


Hospital

4 April 2014  Eric Matthews 
7 May 2014 Peter Brookes 
8 May 2014   Frank Pope 
 Noleen  McPHARLANE (died 22.04.14)
   30 July 2014 Monique Whitebread  

 11 Jan 2016  Efstratios Voukelatos

 

4 March 2021    Grazyna Walczak 
17 March 2021   Ben O'Hara 

 23 April 2024    Emmanuel Ladapo
 16 Aug 2024  Daniel Klosi
 27 Sept 2024  Maria Kelly



Housing

20 April 2018  Magdalena Fink  

26 Oct 2020    Daniel Coleman 

 4 March 2024   Sandra Senior 




DWP

12 Feb 2021 Philippa Day 

6 Nov 2023 Kevin Gale 


13 Jan 2014 Michael O'Sullivan HERE


28 Jan 2021 DWP accused of ‘gross incompetence’ after benefit claimant’s inquest (civilserviceworld.com)

7 Dec 2023 DWP failings that helped trigger suicide ‘are a national issue’, NHS manager tells coroner – Disability News Service


DLUHC

7 May 2024 Colin Waterhouse

14 August 2024 joanita-nalubowa        



                            -----------------------------------

X POSTS on bad living environments HERE



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Thursday, 4 April 2024

We are sorry says Twitter Bot

 latest news from Camden Council twitter bot @CamdenCouncil about problems with their website and phones 

some people have been having problems paying money to Camden Council  - and the council is sorry about this. 


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Tuesday, 12 December 2023

Housing Ombudsman investigates

Tuesday 12 Dec 2023

https://housingexecutive.co.uk/ombudsman-launches-investigations-into-three-london-landlords/





////////////////////////////////////////////// 

posted 6 Oct 2023 

https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/2023/09/28/ombudsman-opens-consultation-on-complaint-handling-code-ahead-of-statutory-requirements/

"Ombudsman opens consultation on Complaint Handling Code ahead of statutory requirements" 

 from 28 September 2023 to 23 November 2023. 


  • Few changes for Landlords already using the Complaints Handling Code (CHC
  • End of 2 tier system used by local councils 
  • Statutory Code 

"An Act to make provision about the regulation of social housing; about the terms of approved schemes for the investigation of housing complaints; about the powers and duties of a housing ombudsman appointed under an approved scheme; about hazards affecting social housing; and for connected purposes.

[20th July 2023]

Be it enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—" 

The Act came into being officially on 20 July 2023 - however, like some Acts it doesn't say the Act comes into force on that date or any other date.
some info about Parliament and Law making Bills & legislation - UK Parliament

The below Act: 
Says which parts of the Act came into force on 20 September  2023





                                            
                                                  /////////////////////////////////////////

" You can see more details of the government’s review of the Decent Homes Standard and other work they are doing to improve social housing quality  on GOV.UK." 

Housing Health and Safety Rating System [HHSRS]  ... "changes to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), a tool used to assess hazards in residential premises. The government commissioned an external review of the HHSRS, which concluded in 2022. Following this, changes will be introduced to simplify the HHSRS."


published 7 September 2023



                                    ///////////////////////////////////////


Housing Ombudsman Reports of complaints about Camden Council Landlord


26 April 2023 

25 Feb 2021 

3 March 2021 

10 March 2021 

31 March 2021 

15 May 2021

28 May 2021 

29 May 2021 

27 July 2021

11 August 2021

9 August 2021

6 Sept 2021

17 Sept 2021

30 Sept 2021

16 Dec 2021 

29 Jan 2021 

 

                                                              ////////////


RSH Regulatory Notice

  • Provider: London Borough of Camden Council
  • Regulatory code: 00AG
  • Publication date: 21 July 2023
  • Reason for publication: Consumer Standards
  • Regulatory route: Reactive Engagement

Other providers included in the judgement

None

Regulatory Findings

The regulator has concluded that:

a) London Borough of Camden Council (LB Camden) has breached part 1.2 of the Home Standard; and

b) As a consequence of this breach, there was actual and potential serious detriment to LB Camden’s tenants.


The issue

In May 2023 legal proceedings brought by London Fire Service against LB Camden concluded. The proceedings related to a fire at a large street property conversion in Hampstead in November 2017 where a tenant died. Fire risk assessments in January 2013 and May 2017 identified serious risks in the block, such as combustible wooden cladding on the internal staircase and a lack of proper fire doors on flat entrances. LB Camden had programmed but not yet implemented the required remedial actions. It pleaded guilty to two offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005[footnote 1] and was fined £500,000 plus costs by the court.

Following the conclusion of legal proceedings, the regulator engaged with LB Camden to understand whether the fire safety failings demonstrated by this case had been resolved and whether LB Camden was compliant with our regulatory standards.

Our investigation

As a registered provider, LB Camden is required to comply with the consumer standards, including the Home Standard. The Home Standard requires providers to meet all applicable statutory requirements that provide for the health and safety of tenants in their homes.

In respect of fire safety, LB Camden has a statutory duty[footnote 2] to regularly assess, and take precautions to prevent, the risk of fire. The Council has completed fire risk assessments for the 3,200 blocks that require one. However, our investigation found that over 9,000 fire remedial actions are currently overdue, with around 1,500 of them being overdue since 2020. We found that there are just under 400 high-risk actions overdue. Of these, a third should have been completed within 10 days and the remainder in 30 days.

As part of our investigation, LB Camden shared a 2019 internal audit of its approach to fire safety. At the time of the audit there were over 6,000 overdue fire remedial actions and issues relating to the quality and reporting of data were identified. LB Camden has since improved its ability to report on fire remedial actions, put in place new governance arrangements, including a resident fire safety panel, and has completed more than 40,000 actions generated by its current fire risk assessments. However, taking into account the outcome of the fire in 2017, the findings of the internal audit in 2019 and the current fire safety position, the evidence demonstrates a longstanding failure by LB Camden to complete all fire safety remedial actions in a timely manner and to mitigate the risks to tenants in the meantime. As a consequence, tenants have been, and continue to be, exposed to potential harm.

For smoke and carbon monoxide detectors,[footnote 3] LB Camden is required to ensure that at least one smoke alarm is equipped on each storey where there is a room used as living accommodation of a property and that a carbon monoxide detector is equipped in any room containing a fixed combustion appliance. LB Camden reports that more than 9,000 properties do not have a hard-wired smoke alarm installed and just under 4,000 properties do not have a carbon monoxide detector installed.

The regulator considered the case as a potential breach of part 1.2 of the Home Standard and has concluded that LB Camden does not have an effective system in place to allow it to meet its responsibilities in relation to its statutory fire safety responsibilities.

Our engagement

LB Camden has a plan in place to complete overdue fire remedial actions and has systems in place to monitor and report on the progress of its plans. It has also set out a programme to install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in all of the properties currently without them. The regulator will work with LB Camden while it continues to address the issues that have led to this situation, including monitoring how it delivers its programme to complete the outstanding overdue actions. We will continue to keep our use of statutory powers under regular review through our engagement with LB Camden.

Section 198A of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (as amended) states that the regulator’s regulatory and enforcement powers may be used if a registered provider has failed to meet a consumer standard. In order to use regulatory or enforcement powers, as well as the failure to meet the standard, there should also be reasonable grounds to suspect that the failure has resulted in a serious detriment to the provider’s tenants (or potential tenants) or that there is a significant risk that, if no action is taken by the regulator, the failure will result in a serious detriment to the provider’s tenants (or potential tenants).


About our Regulatory Notices
Regulatory notices are issued in response to an event of regulatory importance (for example, a finding of a breach of the Rent Standard or of a consumer standard that has or may cause serious harm) that, in accordance with its obligation to be transparent, the regulator wishes to make public. More detail about Regulatory notices is set out in Regulating the Standards.

  1. Article 13 failure to provide a suitable alarm and Article 14 failure to ensure safe means of escape in the event of danger. ↩

  2. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 ↩

  3. The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 ↩

                                              ------------------------------------


End note: I have corrected the reported and copied by many, that 31 Daleham Gardens NW3 is/was in the ward of Hampstead - when it wasn't/isn't. 

At the time of the fire [and up until the boundary changes of May 2022] the above mentioned property was in ward of Frognal and Fitzjohns.

The ward has been changed to, [or incorporated into]  the nearby Belize ward. 





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Tuesday, 5 December 2023

new Tenants Complaints and Improvements panel

 

The below was recently sent to me - im guessing as a camden council tenant.I was under the impression [from an officers monthly report to the DMC's] that this group [in whatever name t is/was] called had already been set up, and that it was to be transparent, open ... my blog on it from May 2023 HERE

Then  recently the below was sent out to tenants



NEW Resident Panel Opportunity: Complaints & Improvements in Housing & Repairs

                 

  //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

My ad-ons 

Fire Safety Works programme HERE 


2 March 2024

apparently there are 2 different camden council tenants/residents panel/committee:  

1 Camden Housing & Property Residents Panel 

2.Complaints & Improvements in Housing & Repairs

The names of the members are being kept secret as well as the minutes of their meetings. 

This makes me think that something is amiss here and that possibly only 1 or even 0  groups exist -  except in the imagination of some camden council people. 


27 June 2024

Taken from June/July round of DMC meetings https://democracy.camden.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=167&MId=10847

agenda item 9. Action points https://democracy.camden.gov.uk/documents/s119077/

Camden Housing Property Residents Panel 
https://www.camden.gov.uk/camden-housing-property-residents-panel



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Monday, 9 October 2023

Fire Safety Works Programme 2023/24

 The below is from my landlord Camden Council. 

Dated 26 Sept 2023     

                                                    

      click on photos to enlarge
pages 1&2 of 8 


   
pages 3&4 of 8


pages 5&6 of8


pages 7&8 of8 



                                                    /////////////////////////////////////////////





Entrance hallway: wall and ceiling


 



21 March 2024
Because the landlord camden council doesnt have its street property Fire Safety Assessments [FSA] on its website like they do for purpose build blocks, I contacted them and requested a copy, which I was send so thanks for that.

Nothing much of alarm in the report which is good. 

What did jump out at me is the photo of the front of the property they included in the assessment. 
I know on the grand scheme of things that the editing of the photo isn't a big issue, but i was/am a bit confused about it and how it ended up edited and on the fire assessment for this property.  

I noticed it immediately.
I won't for now point out what doesn't belong in the below photo and what should be in it but isn't. 





22 March 2024
the below is a recent photo - id moved my cycle from where it was chained to the rails. 
You will also notice that the rail is on the side of the property next door where the paintwork is a darker shade. 




   
and the below photo is the other side




23 May 2024 

An excerpt: 
"Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations 2022 came into force 1st October 2022. 
All landlords including local authorities must ensure: ‘Working smoke alarms are installed in all tenanted properties and carbon monoxide alarms installed in any tenanted properties which contain a fixed combustion appliance. The landlords have a duty to repair and replace any smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms once informed or found that they are faulty’."   British Standard (BS 5839-6)


In rental properties a minimum level of protection recommended in BS 5839-6 is Grade D1 LD2 System. 
LD2 is a system incorporating detectors in all circulation spaces that form part of escape routes from dwellings like hallways, landings and in all specified rooms and areas that present a high fire risk.

Notes from the 5 DMC's meetings held in March 2024
New Fire doors - problems with 
 Kentish Town     None

Camden Town    None

Gospel Oak     None

Hampstead   None 

 "replacement and additional fire doors had been installed on the Brunswick Estate, resulting in an elderly resident having his arm stuck in a door. The resident was now homebound due to being unable to get through four heavy fire doors. The TRA had been told they would be magnetised and propped open unless the alarm was raised or that they could be opened with a green button but this had only been applied to one of the doors. This had prevented a resident in a wheelchair from entering and exiting the block. Officers agreed to review the fire doors, but noted they had been required by the Fire and Rescue Service." 


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